10 Tennessee towns, 10 quoted. Of these, 2 have codes that bar uninvited soliciting at homes, 5 have permit, registration or hours rules and 3 are unclear. Each row
links its source and shows the date read.
Published October 20, 2026
Counts
Tennessee towns by rule
Rule
Towns
Uninvited home soliciting barred
2
Permit or license required
5
Unclear wording: ask the clerk
3
Tennessee state law
Read on the legislature's or official code publisher's own site.
§ 47-18-702(4): "“Home solicitation sale” means a consumer sale or lease of goods (other than farm equipment and/or motor vehicles) or services, other than" (excerpt cut; it resumes "animals or produce or similar perishable items") · § 47-18-703(1): "the buyer has the right to cancel a home solicitation sale until twelve o'clock midnight (12:00) of the third business day after the day on which the buyer signs"
Town by town
Bartlett
Uninvited home soliciting barred
“It shall be unlawful anywhere in the City of Bartlett, Tennessee, for any person, peddler, huckster, hawker or transient vendor to sell or offer for sale on … private residences … any goods, wares and merchandise of any nature.”
Selling or offering to sell at private residences is unlawful; goods, wares and merchandise includes services. Exceptions cover newspaper delivery, merchants' deliveries, and charitable, religious or political activity.
County
Shelby County
Section
Title 9 Ch. 2, Sec. 9-203; Sec. 9-202(4), (13); Sec. 9-206
Code version
City PDF, Title 9 Business, Peddlers, Solicitors, Etc. (Ch. 2 as amended by Ord. #23-06, Nov. 2023; file stamp Ch9_1-13-26)
“It shall be unlawful for any person or group of persons to solicit for any purpose at places of residence unless the solicitation is for charitable purposes or purposes sponsored by organized civic entities.”
Soliciting at residences is unlawful except for charitable or civic purposes, yet another chapter issues peddler permits (solicitors included) for daylight door-to-door sales; the two are not reconciled.
County
Montgomery County
Section
Title 10 Ch. 2, Sec. 10-242; Title 5 Ch. 2, Secs. 5-201, 5-202, 5-214
Hours / signs
Sec. 5-214: permittees may not peddle from dusk to dawn, Monday-Saturday; "no peddling"/"no solicitation" signs and leave-on-request are enforceable trespass.
Permit
Sec. 5-202/-203/-204: peddler's permit (solicitors included in definition), per individual, one calendar year; police chief reviews application, decision within ten business days.
“It shall be unlawful for any peddler or transient merchant to ply his trade within the corporate limits without first applying for said permit …”
Peddlers and transient merchants who sell and deliver goods need a city permit; sample-only order-taking is left out. The posted code text dates from 2007.
County
Dyer County
Section
Title 9 Ch. 2, Secs. 9-201, 9-202, 9-209
Hours / signs
Sec. 9-209: no permittee may sell or solicit from one hour before sundown until one hour after sunrise.
Permit
Sec. 9-202/-204/-206: permit from city recorder after police check within 7 days; fee; 2,500 dollar surety bond; expires with business tax.
Code version
Dyersburg Municipal Code, MTAS-hosted PDF Title 9; MTAS page shows last updated 2007-06-28
“It shall be unlawful for any peddler, canvasser, or solicitor, or transient merchant to ply his trade within the corporate limits without first obtaining a permit therefor in compliance with the provisions of this chapter.”
Peddlers, canvassers, solicitors and transient merchants need a city permit. Posted property may not be entered without consent. The code text on the state-hosted site is dated 2021.
County
Chester County
Section
Title 9 Ch. 2, Secs. 9-201 to 9-213; Title 11, Sec. 11-601
Hours / signs
Sec. 11-601: going onto posted property without consent is unlawful; peddlers and solicitors must leave promptly when asked.
Permit
Sec. 9-203/-204/-206/-213: sworn application to city recorder; 5 dollar fee; 1,000 dollar bond; police review; expires with privilege license.
Code version
Henderson Municipal Code, MTAS-hosted PDF (April 2000, Change 3); MTAS page shows last updated 2021-08-12
“It shall be unlawful for any peddler, canvasser, solicitor, or transient merchant to ply his trade within the corporate limits without first obtaining a permit therefor in compliance with the provisions of this chapter.”
Peddlers, canvassers, solicitors and transient merchants need a city permit. Posted property may not be entered without consent. The code text on the state-hosted site is dated 2014.
County
Gibson County
Section
Title 9 Ch. 2, Secs. 9-201 to 9-213; Title 11, Sec. 11-225
Hours / signs
Sec. 11-225: going onto posted property without consent is unlawful; peddlers and solicitors must leave promptly when asked.
Permit
Sec. 9-203/-204/-206/-213: sworn application to the mayor; 5 dollar fee; 1,000 dollar bond; police review; expires with privilege license.
Code version
Humboldt Municipal Code, MTAS-hosted PDF (July 2004, Change 1); MTAS page shows last updated 2014-06-02
“No person, firm or corporation shall operate a business as a peddler, transient vendor, solicitor or street barker … unless the same has obtained a permit from the city in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.”
Peddlers, solicitors and transient vendors need a city permit, issued on application and fee. Entry is barred where a Peddlers or Solicitors Prohibited sign is posted. Code text is 2019.
County
Monroe County
Section
Title 9 Ch. 1, Secs. 9-101, 9-103, 9-104, 9-105(5); Title 11, Sec. 11-601
Hours / signs
Sec. 9-105(5): no entry where a "Peddlers or Solicitors Prohibited" sign or placard is posted. No hours rule found.
Permit
Sec. 9-103/-104/-109: sworn application to city recorder; 20 dollar non-refundable fee; permit issued on completion and payment; expires with privilege license.
Code version
Madisonville Municipal Code, MTAS-hosted PDF (Change 4); MTAS page shows last updated 2019-01-07
“No person shall go in or upon private residences … unless he has been requested or invited to do so by the owner or occupant … for the purpose of soliciting orders for the sale of goods, wares, or merchandise”
Going onto private residences to solicit orders for goods, wares or merchandise without being requested or invited is unlawful; a permit is also required. The clause names goods only.
County
Hamblen County
Section
Title 9 Ch. 3, Sec. 9-313; Secs. 9-301, 9-302, 9-314
Permit
Sec. 9-302/-303/-304/-307: permit from city recorder after police review within 72 hours; 5 dollar investigation fee; bond; expires with privilege license.
Code version
Municode, Code of Ordinances Supp. No. 25, codified through Ord. No. 4840 (enacted 2026-07-07)
“Panhandler means any person, other than an exempt organization … requesting an immediate donation of money or exchange of any services | On private property, unless the panhandler has permission from the owner or occupant.”
Door-to-door solicitors need a recorder's permit and bond. A panhandling chapter bars panhandling on private property without permission; whether its words exchange of any services reach sales calls is undefined.
County
Cocke County
Section
Title 9 Ch. 3, Secs. 9-301 to 9-306; Title 11 Ch. 11, Secs. 11-1102(16), 11-1103, 11-1104(7)
Hours / signs
Sec. 11-1103: panhandling unlawful 7:00 p.m.-8:00 a.m.; Sec. 11-1104(7): panhandling on private property needs owner or occupant permission.
Permit
Sec. 9-301/-302/-303: door-to-door solicitors get a permit from the recorder; 500 dollar bond; carried and shown on request; revocable.
Code version
City-hosted Newport Municipal Code Title 9 and Title 11 PDFs (Title 11 file dated 2024-08; Ch. 11 Ord. #2015-10); MTAS code page shows 2008-03-01
“It shall be unlawful for any peddler, canvasser, solicitor, or transient merchant to ply his trade within the corporate limits without first obtaining a permit therefor in compliance with the provisions of this chapter.”
Peddlers, canvassers, solicitors and transient merchants need a city permit with a fee and bond. No hours rule or residence ban appears. Posted code text is dated 2017.
County
Bedford County
Section
Title 5 Ch. 3, Secs. 5-301 to 5-316
Permit
Sec. 5-304/-305/-307/-314: application to city recorder; 50 dollar fee; 1,000 dollar bond; police review; expires with privilege license.
Code version
Shelbyville Municipal Code, MTAS-hosted PDF (Change 11, April 2015); MTAS page shows last updated 2017-09-10
“It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in the business of peddler as defined in section 9-101 of this chapter within the city without first obtaining a peddler's permit in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.”
Peddlers need a city permit; the solicitor chapter covers only subscription and charitable solicitors. Posted property may not be entered without consent. Posted code text is dated 2015.
County
Franklin County
Section
Title 9 Ch. 1, Secs. 9-101, 9-102, 9-103, 9-112; Ch. 2, Sec. 9-201; Title 11, Sec. 11-701
Hours / signs
Sec. 11-701: going onto posted property without consent is unlawful; peddlers and solicitors must leave promptly when asked.
Permit
Sec. 9-103/-104/-105/-112: application to city clerk with fingerprints and medical certificate; 2 dollar fee; police approval; expires December 31.
Code version
Winchester Municipal Code, MTAS-hosted PDF (Change 12); MTAS page shows last updated 2015-08-11
Read the current code for the exact address (a mailing address can name a different town), check the
date on each row, and ask the town clerk in writing. Our permits guide shows how.
The full dataset for every state is on the national page and as a
CSV.
Not legal advice. KnockFiber is an independent recruiting company, not a law firm. This page quotes municipal codes as we read them on the date shown; codes change, and a clerk or a lawyer decides how a rule applies to you. Before you knock, read the current code and ask the town clerk, in writing. Found an error or a newer ordinance? Email recruiting@knockfiber.com and we will re-read the code and log the change.
